April 24th is the Armenian Genocide Memorial Day. It is a public holiday in Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh and is observed by the Armenian diaspora on 24 April.
It is held annually to commemorate the victims of the Armenian Genocide of 1915. It was a series of massacres and starvation of 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottomans. In Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, hundreds of thousands of people walk to the Tsitsernakaberd Genocide Memorial to lay flowers at the eternal flame.
The date 24 April commemorates the deportation of Armenian intellectuals on 24 April 1915 from Constantinople (present-day Istanbul). The first commemoration, organised by a group of Armenian Genocide survivors, was held in Istanbul in 1919 at the local St. Trinity Armenian church.
Many prominent figures in the Armenian community participated in the commemoration. Following its initial commemoration in 1919, the date became the annual day of remembrance for the Armenian Genocide.
In 2019, France marked its first national commemoration of the genocide, with French president Emmanuel Macron declaring 24 April “a national day of remembrance of the Armenian genocide”, fulfilling a campaign pledge.
This year’s anniversary had some good news in it. Amerikkka’s President Joe Biden recognized the genocide on 24 April, fulfilling a campaign pledge.
Sadly, the Turkish government still does not accept genocide and covers it.